Quintessential Careers Content Index: Resumes

Quintessential Careers Content Index:
Resumes and CVs

Our comprehensive Content Index enables you to locate articles, tutorials, quizzes, and worksheets related to resume topics.

Read summaries of each piece of our content pertaining to the use of resumes by job-seekers in your job-search to determine whether you'd like to click on the link and learn more. The Index leads off with the most recent content items at the top, so you know where to find the freshest and most up-to-date content; however, there are also items for which we have no publication date -- and these are located at the end of the list.

Use the pull-down menu at the bottom of this page to find additional topics that interest you -- or return to the main page of the Quintessential Careers Content Index.

How to Tailor Your Resume and Gain More Job Interviews
By: Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2012, Nov.
Summary: No job-seeker should use a generic resume to apply for jobs. This article shows how to tailor your resume to jobs and employers to obtain more job interviews.

5 Video Resume Branding Tips for Job-Seekers
By: Josh Tolan
Published: 2012, Nov. 5
Summary: Video resumes can showcase personality, creativity, communications skills. Enhance your brand with these 5 video resume branding tips for job-seekers.

Your Job-Search Resume Needs a Focal Point: How Job-Seekers Can Add Focus to Resumes
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2012, April
Summary: Develop your resume focus with the advice in this article... every resume needs a focal point -- a device (or set of devices) that instantly tells a hiring decision-maker what job or type of job the candidate seeks and what his or her top selling points are.

How to Craft a Killer Opening for Your Executive Resume: Part 1
By: Don Goodman
Published: 2012, April
Summary: Describes and illustrates effective techniques that executive job-seekers can use to craft hard-hitting, compelling brand positioning executive resume openings.

15 Quick Tips For a Winning Resume
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2011, May 16
Updated/Revised: 2012, March
Summary: The tips we offer in this article capture the most important aspects of an effective resume. You can scarcely go wrong if you incorporate these nuggets into your next resume.

Pros and Cons of PDF Resumes
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2010, Dec. 13
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: A resume that looks virtually identical from one computer to the next sounds mighty appealing. It's comforting to know your fonts, layout, and graphics won't change when they travel from your computer to an employer's. But because of advances in technology and the way employers handle resumes, we've been standoffish about recommending that job-seekers routinely send PDF resumes. This article explains.

How To Choose a High-Quality Resume Service
By: Jason Kay
Published: 2010, Dec. 13
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: As with many other things in life all resume services are not created equally. A multitude of factors can help you ensure that you hiring a high-quality resume service. This article explains.

What's New In Resume Writing: Key Trends
By: Susan Britton Whitcomb
Published: 2010, Dec. 13
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: Susan Britton Whitcomb, author of the authoritative guide to resumes, Resume Magic, recently documented trends she's seen in resume-writing as we enter the second decade of the 21st century.

Polish Your Resume Like a Pro: 7 Tips Any Job-Seeker Can Use
By: Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2010, Dec. 13
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: Rather than rehashing the common problems and errors found on resumes -- which you can read in some of our other resume articles -- this article focuses on 7 tips that professional resume writers use when polishing the resume of a client.

New Web-Based Twists On Resumes: Best Ways to Construct a Resume?
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2010, Dec. 13
Updated/Revised: 2012, March
Summary: Recently, a number of new sites have jumped into the resume-building game. This article offers an overview of some of them, as well as thoughts on the value of Web-based resume builders compared to engaging a professional resume writer or preparing your own resume unaided.

Action Verbs in Action: Sample Resume Bullet Points that Kick Off with Powerful Verbs
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2009, Sept. 21
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: This Quintessential Careers tool provides samples of how action verbs can be used in resumes.

Branding Your Resume
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D. and Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2009, Sept. 21
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: This article briefly discusses several methods of communicating your personal brand on your resume and focuses on creating a personal/career branding statement (often used in combination with a "headline") for the top of your resume. The article also offers numerous examples.

How to Get Started on Your Resume: A Five-Step Primer for College Students and Recent College Grads
By: Randall S Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2009, Sept. 21
Updated/Revised: 2012, March
Summary: This primer provides a clear framework for developing your resume, the single most important job-hunting tool.

How to Get Started on Your Resume: A Five-Step Primer for Established Job-seekers and Career-Changers
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2009, Sept. 21
Updated/Revised: 2012, March
Summary: This article takes you through the steps to getting started on your resume and provides a refresher if you have a resume that needs updating and polishing.

Five Top Trends for Executive Resumes
By: Meg Guiseppi
Published: 2008, July 21
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: With constantly changing trends in strategic resume writing, new ways to accomplish this differentiation are always coming forward. If you take advantage of the latest trends before they mainstream, you are much more likely to stand out, make a positive connection, and stimulate the attention you deserve. This article describes those trends.

Frequently Asked Questions About Resumes: The Complete Resume FAQ
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D. and Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2008, July 21
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: This article seeks to be the complete compendium on the questions that are most often asked about resumes. In creating this Resume FAQ, we have created seven different sections with a total of 55 of the most frequently asked questions about resumes.

Frequently Asked Resume Questions A FAQ for College Students and New Graduates
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D. and Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2008, July 21
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: Top lessons students should learn and perfect in college that will make them attractive candidates to prospective employers.

Top Thirty Executive Resume Pet Peeves of Hiring Decision-Makers: Part 1, 1-10 Peeves,
Top Thirty Executive Resume Pet Peeves of Hiring Decision-Makers: Part 2, 11-20 Peeves, and
Top Thirty Executive Resume Pet Peeves of Hiring Decision-Makers: Part 3, 21-30 Peeves
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2008, July 21
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: Through a list of the Top 30 Executive Resume Pet Peeves, hiring decision-makers reveal the landmines aspiring executives can avoid while positioning their career-marketing documents to meet decision-maker needs. We surveyed 59 hiring decision-makers for the book, Top Notch Executive Resumes (from which this series of articles is adapted) about their peeves and preferences.

Use Your Resume To Help Negotiate a Higher Salary
By: Deborah Walker
Published: 2007, Dec. 12
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: If your resume sells your skills short, then you can't expect to receive offers at the upper end of your salary scale. Your current resume could be losing you thousands of dollars in income power. By making a few key changes in your resume now, you can position yourself for higher salaries in the future. This article explains.

Use Your Blog as a Resume Part II: Tips and Examples
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2007, Nov. 26
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: If you've decided you'd like to experiment with using a blog as a resume, consider the tips in this article.

Use Your Blog as a Resume Part I: Pros and Cons
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2007, Oct. 26
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: Plusses and minuses if you're considering using your blog as a resume.

Are Video Resumes for You?
By: Joe Turner
Published: 2007, Oct. 26
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: Video resumes offer a new tool to get your foot in the door with a growing number of employers today. But are they an advantage for you, the job-seeker? This article discusses that question.

Creative Professionals: Does Your Resume Reflect Your Design Skills?
By: Jennifer Klein
Published: 2007, Oct. 26
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: The fastest way to compromise your chance of landing a job in a creative field is to submit a traditional resume. Creative professionals need to use their resumes as a tool to show their creativity and design abilities. This article explains.

Research on Fonts and Marketing: Apply It to Your Resume?
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2007, Oct. 26
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: A few years ago, Pamela Henderson, Joan Liese, and Joseph Cote of Washington State University conducted research into how consumers react to various typefaces or fonts. Their purpose was to explore how marketers and advertisers can use fonts to convey specific messages and emotions in logos and advertising copy. Given that resumes are essentially marketing documents, we wondered to what extent the research might also apply to fonts you might use in your resume. This article explores that issue.

Is The Breakfast of Champions in Your Resume?
By: Joe Turner
Published: 2007, June 25
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: When you think of job search as marketing, see the employer as the purchaser looking through endless ads of candidates that all look alike. You can separate yourself as a special product by branding your resume. This article tells how.

Dispelling the Myth About Resumes: It is Not Just to Get Your Foot in the Door
By: Sherri Edwards
Published: 2006, Sept. 25
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: It has been said that a crafty, eye-catching resume is all that is needed to get your foot in the door for an interview. That may be so. Then what? How many times have you heard of a person having interview after interview, but never receives any offers? There is likely to be a good reason for that, and there is a good chance it can be tracked all the way back to their resume. This article explains.

FAKTSA An Easy Acronym for Remembering Key Resume Enhancers
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2006, Sept. 25
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: What are the most important things to remember about writing an effective resume? They can be encapsulated in a six-letter acronym, FAKTSA, in which the letters stand for: Focus, Appearance, Keywords, Transferrable Skills, and Accomplishments. This article explains each facet.

Teen Resume Writing Quiz
By: Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2006, Sept. 25
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: Think you know how to write a great job-search resume? Take our quiz and find out.

Teen Resume Writing Worksheet
By: Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2006, Sept. 25
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: If you are serious about making a statement as a job-seeker, use this worksheet as a guide for creating your resume.

Baby Boomers Beware: Don't Let Your Resume Date You!
By: Deborah Walker
Published: 2005, Dec. 5
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: If you're experiencing symptoms of age discrimination, you should know that your resume could be the culprit, categorizing you as out of date and over the hill. This article tells how to prevent your resume from making you appear old.

Is Your Resume Lost in the Great Internet Void
By: Deborah Walker
Published: 2005, Sept. 12
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: If you want to be sure that your resume is being seen by a real person who can offer you a real job, follow this article's three rules to get stronger response.

Ten Resume Tips
By: Sherri Edwards
Published: 2005, Sept. 12
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: A thoughtful, carefully constructed resume, using information you have obtained through research about a specific company and industry, does more than ensure that you get an opportunity to interview. It also prepares you for the interview and will contribute to your ability to effectively make a case for hiring you, allowing you to close the deal! This article tells how to meet that goal.

Why Hire a Professional Resume Writer?
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2005, Sept. 12
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: One of the first signs that you may need a professional resume writer is that your resume simply does not seem to be working for you. If you are not getting called for interviews after sending out or posting your resume, it's possible that your resume could be improved. This article elaborates.

Could You Benefit from a Professional Resume Writer? An Assessment for Job-seekers
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2004, Nov. 8
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: Are you thinking about engaging the services of a professional writer for your resume, CV, cover letter, thank-you letter, or other career-marketing correspondence? Before you take this step, you might want to consider how a professional resume writer could benefit you. Take this short quiz to help you determine your need for professional writing services.

Avoid These Ten Resume Mistakes
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2004, March 29
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: This article describes the 10 mistakes we see most often. All are easy to fix. This article tells how.

New Grads Must Dig Deeper to Beef Up Skimpy Resumes
By: Teena Rose
Published: 2004, March 29
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: What do you do if you're a new graduate with limited experience? You dig deep, very deep. Covering all the bases will ensure your resume reflects key information that is relevant to your career. It's important to focus on the assets you bring to the table, and it's even more important not to forget any career tidbit. This article explains.

Scoop on Resume Length: How Many Pages Should Your Resume Be?
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2004, March 29
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: We interviewed resume professionals to get opinions on resume length.

Posting Your Resume on Job Boards: The FAQs
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D., and Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2003, Nov. 29
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: Posting resumes to job boards is one of the major activities that job-seekers pursue on the current job-search scene, and questions persist about how to post most effectively, how to get results, and how to avoid some of the pitfalls of posting. This article offers answers to the major questions.

Resume Critique Worksheet
By: Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2003, March 31
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: A review of the 10 factors you should use to evaluate your resume.

Your E Resumes File Format Aligns With its Delivery Method
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2003, March 31
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: This article describes the most common types of e-resumes and offers some general guidelines on how to create them.

How to Handle a Gap in Your Job History
By: Cynthia Wright
Published: 2003, March 31
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: In the wonderful world of resume writing and job searches, a gap in employment is a totally different ball game. In fact, it's one of the things that causes the most stress and fear in the hearts and minds of the job-seeker. This article explains how to approach such gaps.

Resume Strategy Quiz
By: Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D. and Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2002, Nov.11
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: It's one thing to know how to write a good job-search resume, but once you've developed a solid resume, do you know how best to use it? Take our challenge and test your knowledge of resume strategy!

Resume Writing Quiz For Career Changers
By: Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D. and Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2002, Nov.11
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: Career-changers face some tough decisions when developing your job-search resume for your new career field. How confident are you in your resume-writing abilities? Take this quiz and test your resume-writing prowess.

Resume Writing Quiz For Entry-level Job-Seeker/New Graduate
By: Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D. and Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2002, Nov.11
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: New graduates and other younger job-seekers often struggle a bit in developing a strong job-search resume. How confident are you in your resume-writing abilities? Take this quiz and test your resume-writing prowess.

Resume Writing Quiz For Experienced Job-Seekers
By: Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D. and Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2002, Nov.11
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: Even experienced job-seekers may not be current on the latest trends and developments in resume writing. How confident are you in your resume-writing abilities? Take this quiz and test your resume-writing prowess.

Powerful New Grad Resumes and Cover Letters Ten Things They Have in Common
By: by Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2002, April 29
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: OK, you're graduating from college soon. Time to give your resume and cover letter a checkup to ensure they are as powerful as they can be. Powerful new grad resumes and cover letters have several things in common, so you can kill a number of birds with one stone with this checkup.

Tapping the Power of Keywords to Enhance Your Resumes Effectiveness
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2002, March 18
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: This article and its sidebars describe some of those tools and tell you how and where to use the keywords you come up with on your resume and beyond.

Research Keywords in Employment Ads
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2002, March 18
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: The method that career experts most commonly suggest for identifying the keywords that an employer is likely to seek in any given job search involves scrutinizing employment ads to see what keywords are prominently or repeatedly mentioned in association with a given job title. This article explains.

Resources for Identifying Resume Keywords
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2002, March 18
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: This article describes ways of identifying keywords beyond those found in job postings.

Career Changers Most Powerful Resume and Cover Letter Tool: Transferable Skills
By: Maureen Crawford Hentz
Published: 2001, Nov. 26
Summary: The most effective technique career changers can use in their resumes and cover letters is transferable skills. This article tells how.

Resume, Cover Letter, and Interview Strategies for Older Workers
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2001, Sept. 10
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: Special techniques for mature job-seekers to apply to resumes, cover letters, and interviewing.

Ten Easy Ways to Improve Your Resume
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2001, May 7
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: Even if your resume has other problems, you'll see significant improvements if you make the 10 easy fixes described ion this article.

Resume Do's and Don'ts
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2001, Feb. 12
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: This article explores keys to successfully preparing and writing a resume. Follow these simple rules and you should achieve success in this important phase of job-hunting.

Culturally Competent Resumes for the Global Job Market
By: n/a
Published: 2000, July 31
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: By presenting your personal information in a culturally sensitive manner, you will enhance your chances of success in the global job market. Follow this article's simple steps to avoid the pitfalls of cultural faux-pas and prevent potentially embarrassing and costly miscues.

Resume Tutorials for All Job Seekers
By: n/a
Published: 2000, April 17
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: Two resume-writing tutorials designed to help you create a solid resume that will help get you to the next step in your job-search. One tutorial is for job-seekers with experience writing resumes, while the other is a detailed step-by-step tools for developing, writing, and polishing your resume.

Web Based Resumes Just One Tool in the Online Jobseeker's Toolbox
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: 2000, March 3
Summary: A defense of using Web-based resumes as part of an integrated job search.

Your E-Resume's File Format Aligns with its Delivery Method
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: n/a
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: The way a resume is intended to be delivered to its recipient determines the technological approach you should take to the resume's preparation. This article describes the most common types of e-resumes and offers some general guidelines on how to create them.

Common Sense Steps Can Prevent Employer Backlash Against Online Resumes
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: n/a
Summary: Employers are being bombarded by poorly crafted online resumes to the point where this once-promising mode of job-hunting may be losing some of its effectiveness. But the simple precautions in this article can help ensure that your resume won't get lost in the e-glut.

Action Verbs for Cover Letters, Resumes
By: n/a
Published: n/a
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: Remember to use these action verbs in this list in writing your resume and cover letters to increase the strength of your writing and make potential employers take notice of your accomplishments and skills!

Fundamentals of a Good Chronological Resume
By: Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: n/a
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: This article provides an outline of a typical chronological resume -- best suited for entry-level job-seekers or those who have stayed in the same field.

Resume and CV Enhancement Checklist for Job-Seekers
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D. and Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: n/a
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: Excellent resumes and CVs often contain information that you may not have thought to include on your existing resume or CV. Review this checklist to see if there is additional information you should add to improve your resume or CV.

What Resume Format is Best for You?
By: Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., and Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: n/a
Updated/Revised: Updated 2012, April
Summary: What are the advantages and disadvantages of different types of resumes? What are the common elements of all resumes? This article addresses these issues, giving you all the information you need to write the best resume for you -- given your job history and job-search strategy.

The Demise of the Functional Resume
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: n/a
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: Job-seekers and resume writers have largely abandoned functional formats for resumes. This article explains why and describes the rare circumstances under which you might still consider a functional resume.

Six Tips to Rock Your Resume
By: Joe Turner
Published: n/a
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: This article offers six easy steps to really rock your resume and motivate hiring managers to call you.

Your Annual Job-Search Resume Checkup
By: Deborah Walker
Published: n/a
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: The four questions in this article will help you focus your job-search resume for even better job-hunting results.

Preparing a Curriculum Vitae (CV)
By: Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: n/a
Updated/Revised: 2012, April
Summary: A curriculum vitae -- often called a CV or vitae -- tends to be used more for scientific and teaching positions than a resume. Thus, vitaes tend to provide great detail about academic and research experiences. Where resumes tend toward brevity, vitaes lean toward completeness. This article explains.

Resume Components Worksheet
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: n/a
Summary: A worksheet organized as an outline of a typical chronological resume.

College Experience Worksheet for Resume Development
By: n/a
Published: n/a
Summary: Use this worksheet to brainstorm aspects of your college experience that may be worthy of listing on your resume.

Resume Keywords Worksheet
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: n/a
Summary: Print out a copy of this worksheet for each job you apply for and use it to identify keywords that are relevant to each.

Transferable Skills Worksheet for Resumes and Cover Letters
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: n/a
Summary: Use this worksheet to capture skills you've attained from any aspect of your life that are transferable and applicable to the job you want next.

Resume Professional Profile or Qualifications Summary Worksheet
By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Published: n/a
Summary: Print out a copy of this worksheet for each job you apply for and use it to identify keywords that are relevant to each.

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Quintessential Careers Content Index: Resumes and CVs

Our comprehensive Content Index enables you to locate articles, tutorials, quizzes, and worksheets related to resume topics.

See also this section of Quintessential Careers: Resume and CV Resources and Tools for Job-Seekers

Quintessential Careers Content Index:
Resumes and CVs

See also this section of Quintessential Careers:

Resume and CV Resources and Tools for Job-Seekers